Fools Rush In

by Lilliana Anderson

  “It was a fluke that I remembered.” I waved it off just as the garage door opened and Kristian revved the engine of his ute. It was a copper colour and pretty fancy-looking. Kristian pulled up to where he could see us and wound down the window.

  “Got everything?” Sam called out.

  “They took a couple hundred out of my wallet, but other than that….” He shrugged. “Who took out the moaner?” he asked, spotting Johno.

  “Peaches,” Sam announced proudly.

  I just shook my head and looked around the living room. “Where’s the money?” I asked the dangly girl. She was trying to push her way out of Sam’s grip, still to no avail.

  “I’m not telling you shit.”

  I held my foot over Johno’s crown jewels. “If you want to continue having a sex life, you will,” I threatened.

  “You bitch.”

  “I’m not the one who stole your shit. Where’s the money?”

  “We spent it.”

  “Well….” I walked around the living area. There had to be something that was worth a couple of hundred dollars we could take to make this even. That’s when I spotted a MacBook and a pair of Beats. “We’ll just take these as compensation for the money and our pain and suffering,” I said, pulling the cord from the wall and tucking it all under my arm. “You have a nice day now.”

  “I’ll fucking cut you, you bitch.” She struggled some more, and I really wished she was wearing more clothes, because her robe had slipped loose, and those boobs were just everywhere.

  Can’t unsee. Can’t unsee.

  “You go. I’ll take care of these two,” Sam said, nodding towards Kris and his ute.

  I hesitated. “You’re not…?” He isn’t going to take care of them… permanently, is he? No. He’d made it clear that killing wasn’t in their repertoire, and Toby had backed that up. He was probably just going to some creative threats, or whatever else they’d do to warn people off.

  “Go,” he commanded.

  Gripping my newly procured items a little tighter under my arm, I set my jaw and headed out the front, jumping into the ute with Kris. “He’ll meet us at home.”

  “All righty,” Kris said, giving his brother a salute before taking off.

  I sat there and quietly stewed, my fingers gripping the edge of the MacBook as I ground my teeth together.

  I couldn’t hold it in any longer. “What is he doing to them?”

  Kris shrugged. “Making them sorry they messed with a Cartwright.”

  “How?”

  He glanced at me. “In whatever language they understand.”

  “I thought you guys got creative before threats and violence?”

  “I’m sure he’ll be very creative. It’s best you don’t worry about it. You did the name proud today. I can’t believe you took that guy out on your own. And for a girl who can’t talk much to strangers, you had bloody verbal diarrhoea.”

  He laughed and went on for a little longer, but I couldn’t listen. The adrenalin I’d been running on was wearing off, making my skin itch. I didn’t feel right. I’d acted out of survival then gotten carried away like I was playing some game. But it wasn’t a game. They were real people, and I was fairly sure Sam was hurting them.

  “Those for me?” Kris asked, bringing me back when he tapped on the metal case of the laptop.

  “Yes. They spent the money.” I turned and put the items on the back seat.

  “Well, don’t open it so they can’t track it. We’ll get our guy to clean it so we can offload it.”

  “You have a guy for that?”

  “We have guys for lots of things.”

  “What about body disposal?” I couldn’t stop the question jumping out of my mouth if I tried.

  He glanced at me and quirked a brow. “We don’t kill people, Leesh.”

  “Never? Isn’t that why your dad’s in prison?”

  “He told you, huh? Yeah, the old man got someone killed and he’s paying for it. The rest of us are much more careful than that.”

  His words allowed a little relief to seep into my overly tight chest. I glanced at the time. “Jasmine is going to have a fit. I’m supposed to be helping with dinner,” I said, needing a change of subject, needing to focus on something a little more normal.

  Kris laughed. “She’ll be fine. Wait till I tell her what you did today. She’ll erect a statue in your honour.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  She Doesn’t Get To Feel Sorry For You Anymore

  “Did they tell you?” Sam burst through the door and caught me in his arms, pressing his mouth to mine in a desperate kiss that caused me to drop the potato and peeler I was holding.

  “About our little ball-breaker here?” Jasmine replied with a grin that lit up her eyes and face. “Yeah. She’s a natural. I told you all she’d fit in well.”

  From the moment we walked in the door, Kristian had started heralding me as the family hero. When I’d returned from my shower, he was still going on. I just wanted to make the potato bake and forget all about it.

  Sam released my mouth but not my body, his arm around my waist like we were about to go dancing. “You should’ve seen it, Jazz. He had her by the hair and I charged in there, about to rip his arm off his body. Then this tiny little thing twisted around, elbowed him in the face and kicked him in the balls. I’ve never seen anything more beautiful.”

  “Sounds impressive,” Jasmine agreed, a giant smile on her face.

  “It was nothing,” I argued.

  “You’re a fighter,” Sam stated, pride in his voice. “It’s impressive.”

  “Most chicks freak out,” Abbot put in, sticking his head in the fridge on his never-ending quest for food.

  “Dinner is in an hour,” Jasmine said.

  “I’m hungry now.”

  “Then have this.” She picked up a peeled carrot and stuck it in his mouth. He grinned, then bit into it with a crunch. Jasmine shook her head but smiled.

  “I need to finish this,” I told Sam, nodding towards the pile of potatoes on the counter.

  “I’ll help.” He released me and picked up the items I dropped, rinsing the peeler before he started working on the pile with me.

  “I like this domestic side of you,” I said, enjoying doing something more with him than having sex. I mean, I really, really enjoyed the sex, and since we’d only been together for a couple of weeks, that hunger seem to always be there. But it was nice to do something a little more… average. I liked this. I liked being in the kitchen with the noise and the chaos. It was a togetherness I’d never experienced before, and it made me feel like a part of something. This crowded kitchen was far better than all the space I had to myself when I lived on my own. I didn’t miss the solitude for a moment.

  Despite being uncomfortable over the events of the afternoon, I couldn’t help but let just a little of the pride they felt over my actions seep in. I wasn’t used to praise. Egos weren’t allowed in my house; only humble, unobtrusive behaviour was tolerated. The fact that I was being applauded for acting in a rash manner was new to me. It made me uncomfortable but happy. Like I wanted to be proud of myself but couldn’t stop thinking I should be ashamed. It was a bit of a conundrum.

  When preparations were finished in the kitchen, we all dispersed to get ready for our honoured guests. Family was obviously really important to the Cartwrights, and even though Jasmine seemed disinclined towards Holland, she was willing to pull out all the stops if it meant keeping her son happy. In my eyes, that was love.

  Sam couldn’t wait to get me upstairs, undressing me the moment we were through the door. His lips seared against my skin and his hands were everywhere, squeezing and pulling.

  “I can’t stop wanting you,” he breathed, picking me up before dropping me on the bed. “I want to be inside you day and night. You drive me insane.” His fingers danced over my naked chest, teasing my puckered nipples.

  “Insane?”

  “With desire, with want, with need. I can’t get en
ough.” His mouth joined with mine as his fingers travelled down my body and between my legs, teasing me towards climax. “You amaze me.”

  I shook my head, fighting to keep my thoughts at bay while focusing on the moment, on Sam, on what he was doing to me. He was so complimenting, so kind and loving. He’d given me no reason to doubt him, yet I struggled to trust him. I couldn’t just believe the things he said held meaning.

  I’m not amazing.

  His fingers entered me and his mouth joined in, causing lights to flash behind my eyes while the pressure in my core built to a mind-numbing crescendo.

  “Oh!”

  Knock, knock. There was no time between the knock and the opening of the door. “They’re only ten minutes—holy fuck. Shit.” Chaos ensued as the door slammed. I scrambled for something to cover myself. Sam yelled for Abbot to fuck off.

  On the other side of the door came a bubble of laughter.

  “What happened?” Kris asked his cackling twin.

  “I just saw Sam’s arsehole. I need to bleach my eyes,” Abbot responded.

  “The fuck?” Kristian joined in with his twin’s laughter. “What were they doing?”

  Meanwhile, Sam had pulled on a pair of pants and burst out the door before Abbot could explain.

  Abbot held up his hands. “I knocked,” he said through his laughter.

  Sam grabbed him by the front of his shirt. “Don’t ever walk into our room. Ever,” he growled.

  “OK, but mate, please tell me you don’t still have a hard-on. Because you’re standing really close.”

  That was it for me. I covered my mouth with my hand as my laughter squeaked out and shook my shoulders.

  Sam obviously didn’t find it as funny as the rest of us. There was a thud against the wall and guttural laughter from the twins. “Just stay the fuck out,” Sam warned. Then he returned to the room looking more than a little frustrated, raking his hands through his hair. “You OK?”

  Grinning, I bit my lip to contain my mirth and nodded. “Come here,” I said, holding out my hand.

  “You can’t honestly think that was funny,” he said, coming towards me.

  I got up on my knees and let the sheet drop from my body as I called him with my arms. “You have to admit it was a little funny. Terrible timing, but funny.”

  “Terrible timing.”

  Smiling, I ran my hands up his chest and into his hair, winding myself around him before sucking on his lower lip. “Forget about them. We only have ten minutes.”

  A rumble emanated from his chest. “I know this probably isn’t a turn-on, but after today and the state I’m in, I probably only need five.”

  I laughed. “Well, lucky you’ve already taken care of me today, twice.”

  He grinned. “I do like to spoil my girl.”

  “Then give it to me, Sam. Give it to me hard and fast.”

  “I love it when you tell me what you want,” he groaned, moments before his mouth crashed into mine and he gave me exactly what I asked for. Hard and fast.

  “They’re here!” I practically squealed in delight when a beat-up Ford Ranger pulled into the driveway. Compared to the other brothers, Nate’s wheels surprised me—they all had new top-of-the-line rides, whereas his looked like it had seen better days.

  The moment I spotted Holland getting out of the truck, I barrelled out the door and practically threw myself at her.

  “I’ve missed you so much,” I whispered, hugging her as tight as I could. We’d barely gone a day without speaking since we were kids. Two and a half weeks was too long. I had so much I wanted to tell her.

  “I’ve missed you too,” she said, pulling back to look into my eyes. “How have you been?” Her tone told me she’d been worried about me, which was funny because I’d been worried about her. It really pained me that we weren’t able to talk to each other all the time. It made the reality of our situation slam into me with full force. Despite how we were being treated, we were essentially prisoners. We couldn’t leave without an escort.

  I pressed my lips together and held onto her arms. “I’m OK.”

  She let out a gasp as if it pained her to hear that, then pulled me against her soft body and hugged me so tight I could barely breathe. God, what was Nate doing to her? She was beside herself.

  Thankfully, Jasmine saw my need for air and interrupted, placing a gentle hand on my back. “Maybe check that the potatoes aren’t burning?” she said, and I nodded and headed back inside, where the twins and Sam were starting to carry things to the outdoor table near where Toby was hovering over the rotisserie that had a half lamb on it. I’d thought that was far too much meat at first, but after seeing the way these men put away their meals, I worried that it may not be enough.

  “How was the reception?” Sam asked, pausing when he saw me and nodding to where I’d come from. “Frosty?”

  “A little,” I said with a shrug. “I only caught the beginning of it. Nate hadn’t spoken, Holland seemed nervous and Jasmine was being superhostess.”

  “Sounds about right. Always the prodigal son.” He shook his head and walked away, his hands full of wine glasses.

  With the kitchen to myself for five minutes, I pulled the oven door open, the scent of the creamy cheesy potatoes making my stomach growl. This was always one of Holland’s favourites. Her aunty made a roast lamb with potatoes au gratin and vegetables every Sunday in winter, and I would score myself an invite as often as I was allowed. She would always let me have seconds, constantly trying to ‘fatten me up’.

  Using a fork to test that it was cooked all the way through, I decided it was ready to come out of the oven and grabbed the oven mitts to help me handle the huge tray.

  “Let me do that.” Kris came rushing to my side and took over manoeuvring the heavy pan to the bench to cool. “Smells amazing.”

  “Thanks. You think I made enough for everyone? This was the biggest tray I could find.”

  “Probably not.” He laughed. “I could eat that whole thing on my own. I’m drooling from the smell.”

  “Well, you have to share.” I gave him a stern look that was mostly teasing.

  “Toby says the lamb is good to go. We just need a tray to slice it into,” Abbot said, sticking his head into the kitchen.

  “I’ll bring one,” I said, looking back to Kris. “Can you carry the potatoes out?”

  “Sure thing, boss.” He winked and disappeared with the food with the ease of a dancer. I really needed to get stronger; my arms were screaming after all the paddling I’d done today.

  Heading out with the tray, I heard Jasmine’s voice coming down the hall. “It’s not every day a woman with five sons gets to entertain two daughters.” She seemed genuinely pleased about the situation, and I smiled to myself before heading out through the sliding doors to give Toby the tray. As he was piling on sliced lamb, Nate and Holland came out to the table, and the other three brothers greeted them with hugs and cheek kisses. It was a big family reunion.

  “You’re not going over there to say hi?” I asked when Toby glanced up but went back to carving and stacking meat.

  He said nothing at first, just looked over again. “I’ll talk to him later.”

  This was a different Toby. He’d gone all stiff since they’d arrived, and I wondered what was going on between him and Nate besides the obvious. “Do you have something against Holland?” I wondered if that’s where his irritation stemmed. He might harbour the same feelings towards her as Jasmine did.

  “No.” He shook his head. “I just think Nate should’ve left her alone.”

  “I guess he did take the game a bit too far. But then so did she.”

  He looked at me. “Maybe. But everyone else got caught in the middle. Including you.”

  I shrugged. “I’m OK,” I said, uncomfortable from yet another reminder that my position in this family didn’t occur naturally.

  “Why don’t you take that tray over while I finish up,” he said, nodding towards the meat.

  I mad
e it about four steps before Sam jogged over and relieved me of the weight. “I prefer peaches, but lamb is good too.” He winked and I blushed. We took our seats around the table and the meal took on a life of its own, as they frequently did in this house. I loved the camaraderie, the way the men joked around and Jasmine was always trying to stop them like they were still teenagers. Men clearly never grow up.

  Everyone seemed to be having a good time, although I noticed that Holland was a little on the quiet side, which was strange because large groups of people were normally her element, and I wanted to share this with her. It was the big noisy family we’d always dreamed of being a part of, but she seemed lost and eager to leave.

  When he’d finished eating, Sam’s arm slipped around the back of my chair, his fingers playing with the bare skin at my shoulder as he whispered in my ear. “When this is over, I want to take you upstairs and barricade the door shut so I can spend the rest of the night eating you uninterrupted.”

  My body reacted instantly, and I pressed my knees together to calm the throb.

  “Promise?” I whispered, cheeks flaming as I watched his slow nod. I almost jumped out of my skin when Jasmine addressed me.

  “The potatoes were delicious, Alesha,” she said. “We’ll have to add them to our usual rotation. There isn’t a scrap left.”

  “Thank you,” I said a little breathlessly when Sam’s other hand landed on my thigh and began moving up. I grinned at him and shook my head almost unperceptively. “Down, boy.”

  He grinned, then nipped lightly at the skin below my ear. When he moved his hand to a safer position, I glanced around the table to make sure we weren’t being too obvious. Everyone seemed unaware. Nate had his arm around Holland and was busy talking to Kris and Abbot about the swell he’d seen from his beach house. Jasmine was happy listening, and Toby was sitting quietly down the end of the table, sneaking scraps of lamb to his Boston terrier. I waited until Holland looked my way, then smiled.

  “Will you ladies excuse us for a while?” Jasmine asked when the conversation lulled. “My sons and I have some business we need to discuss.”